A country boy seeking his fortune in 1625 Paris, D'Artagnan stumbles upon his destiny through his hotheaded encounters with the swordsmen who will be his closest companions—aristocratic Athos, towering Porthos, and poetic Aramis, musketeers of King Louis XIII. Adopting D'Artagnan as their protégé, the three are soon embroiled in the furious rivalry between the king and Cardinal Richelieu, leading to the swordplay, intrigues, and camaraderie that have made Alexandre Dumas' 1844 novel a swashbuckling classic, and inspired the 2011 adventure film starring Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, and Matthew Macfadyen. Richard Pevear's 2006 translation adheres closely to Dumas' spare prose, and restores some of the passages lost in William Barrow's bowdlerized 1846 version.